Tag Archives: CNET

In the world of mobile gadgets and accessories, it doesn't take much these days to start the rumor mill turning. So when Motorola advisor Guy Kawasaki made a Google+ post last week about a customizable car, the internet naturally started speculating about what that could mean regarding the rumored upcoming Google-Motorola X Phone.

The one line post, which reads, "Wouldn't it be great if you could personalize your phone like this," has prompted many to wonder whether the X Phone will itself be customizable. (The X Phone hasn't yet been officially announced, by the way.)

Some are really running with the rumor. AndroidAndMe posited that "customers will be able to customize their devices," choosing their color, as well as "some of the hardware specs like RAM and internal storage."

Going even further, AndroidAndMe proposes the possibility that the X Phone won't just be one smartphone, but an entire line, designed to compete with Samsung's Galaxy brand.

So, is this taking Kawasaki's Tweet way too far? Maybe so and maybe not. As CNET points out:

"Surely, the timing of Kawasaki's comments is not coincidental. Or is it? In the age of Reddit and Internet trolling, I begrudgingly must reserve some skepticism for the rumor. Is Guy having a bit of fun with his fan base or is he legitimately gauging public interest?"

If there's truth to the speculation, this could be a major follow-up to Google's previous smartphone offering, the more or less standard Nexus 4. But we'll probably find out for sure soon enough. As CNET notes, "should there be fire behind the smoke, this is the sort of rumor that won't be contained for long."

AT&T has given the thumbs up to shared data plans, hopefully ending the waste of gigabytes that family plan customers end up paying for every month. AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega announced this week in an interview with CNET that they will be making shared data plans available to subscribers later this year, but he would share no other details.

Family plans as we know them today require customers to pay for two separate lines, each with their own data allowance. Most of the time phone use doesn’t come anywhere near the standard 2-3GB limit, so most of it goes to waste.

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The option to share data usage would allow consumers to buy one chunk of data that can be used across devices including smartphones and tablets. This will at least reduce the amount of data that family plan subscribers needlessly pay for every month.

Currently, AT&T and Verizon are the two major cell service providers considering shared data plans, possibly launching them sometime this summer. Of course, data plans are where carriers make most of their money, and with the quarrel heating up over device subsidies, we’ll have to wait and see how far AT&T and Verizon are willing to go to improve their pricing.

We’re hoping details of the new shared data plans with be available at the upcoming CTIA Spring 2012 show in New Orleans. AT&T and Verizon will both be there, and they know they’re going to get asked.

The furor and fervor of CES is slowly dimming after its close and industry and consumers alike now have a moment to digest all that was seen, shown and announced in Las Vegas last week. With 2011being an incredible year of innovation and development, the question of “how will 2012 compare?” spiked the excitement of this year’s convention. The result? 2012 tech is impressive. Get complete overview of the CES manufacturer brand announcements on the 'All You Need to Know On CES 2012' blog.

From very innovative protective accessories, charging solutions, power solutions, earpieces and headsets for new tablets and unlocked cell phones, and any number of apps were brought around for our perusal in this modern-day bazaar. But which innovations took home the coveted CNET award for 2012? The readers and editors of CNET granted the Research In Motion owned QNX platform for their latest Blackberry smartphones and PlayBook 2.0 as well as for the best best car tech for its QNX CAR 2 application which will has impressive implications. Tying the mobile OS into the car keeps the consumer demand for technological entertainment at their fingertips while incorporating conversational voice recognition.

The concept Porsche Carrera demonstrates how the “one-touch Bluetooth pairing using Near Field Communications (NFC) eliminates the hassle of pairing the driver’s phone to the car. And experience how conversational voice recognition and in-vehicle controls enable drivers to use the car’s infotainment system easily and conveniently.” This could be the breakthrough innovation that breathes life back into RIM and launch a myriad of car tech and mobile accessories.

On the smartphone front, Nokia took home the Best Smartphone award for the latest Nokia cell phone release the Lumia 900 (probably for its great interaction with Microsoft technology and adaptability with other tech accessories). Another pseudo-win for Microsoft is BlueStacks recognition for its technology that gives Windows 8 products the ability to run Android apps.

Android itself was recognized for its role in the impressive quad-core Ice Cream Sandwich ASUS Memo 370T tablet. A great alternative in the tablet market, industry spectators are bound to be anxious to see what additional accessories will be forthcoming to further enhance the capabilities of this technology.